Lexus Magazine has a new feature on the Lexus Design Center in the Aichi Prefecture of Japan, where designers conceive and develop future concepts and production models:

In central Japan, there’s a glass-fronted building that blends in with its surrounding office structures. As one approaches, though, security gates are a tip-off that something intriguing may be happening inside.

Constructed in 2003, the design center is a one-stop shop for Lexus’s prototype design process, and it’s the place where many new models, like the recently unveiled LF-NX, are initially conceived. It’s a mind-blowing, high-tech place.

The article shows off design tools like the 3D virtual room for simulating an interior before it’s built. There’s also photos of the “Examination Room” situated on the top floor, which can recreate the different types of lighting to better view design prototypes — the roof even retracts to expose models to real world conditions:

Amazing to think just how much of Lexus’ design have originated behind these walls — take time for the full behind-the-scenes tour of one of the brand’s most important (and secretive) buildings.